The population of the UK, and indeed most of the western world, is changing and the number of older persons is growing substantially. The projected number of people over 65 years of age in Great Britain is projected to increase by over 2 million (30%) from 7.8 million in 1996 to over 10 million in 2021 (Health Education Authority, 1998). In 1996 15% of all British households consisted of a lone person over pensionable age. Many older, infirm or disabled persons prefer to remain in their own homes rather than move to a nursing or residential home despite the probability of needing nursing or domiciliary help being greater among people who live alone (Grundy E, 1997, Population Trends, 84, 14-20). Whilst such older, infirm and disabled persons can in general live in their own homes satisfactorily, emergency situations can arise, where urgent external assistance is required, for example, elderly people living on their own who fall and cannot get up. To deal with this problem, it has become customary to provide older, infirm and disabled persons living in their own homes with alarm call buttons, which when activated call assistance from a call center, warden, or relative. As both the population and the trend to remain in ones home is growing, the number of persons living at home who may at some point require urgent external assistance is increasing.
As mentioned above, alarm call buttons for the disabled or elderly to summon assistance are widely used. However, these devices suffer poor compliance; that is their usefulness is severely restricted as they are infrequently carried or worn due to the user either being unwilling to carry and use the alarm, or simply forgetting to carry the device. If the user cannot activate the alarm in an emergency it is useless.
In an attempt to overcome the shortcomings of alarm call buttons, so-called ‘Smart homes’ are being developed, which use a number of sensors and switches around the home to detect person movement and activity. Such systems have full compliance as the person need only be in the environment for the system to monitor their activity and initiate an alarm call when an abnormal situation requiring assistance is detected. The problems with these systems are the complexity and cost associated with the many components, as well as their installation and commissioning.
Another known means of generating an emergency alarm signal monitors the activity of a person within a dwelling by monitoring the use of water in that dwelling. If water is not used for a pre-determined period, indicating a degree of incapacitation of the occupant, an alarm is raised.
In United Kingdom Patent No. 1,446,568 there is described a water supply system of a residence having a warning system. Flow of water into the dwelling is measured continuously. If there is no flow of water into the dwelling for period of more than ten hours, emergency assistance is assumed to be required, and an alarm call is raised.
In United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2,151,383 and United Kingdom patent application No. 2,324,183 there are also described detection devices which monitor flow of water into a dwelling, and raise an alarm call in the absence of water flow during a specified period.
United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2,343,040 describes a person inactivity alarm system which monitors the flow of water into a dwelling, and the movement of a person in the dwelling, in bed asleep. An alarm call is raised if water has not been used for a predetermined period, and the person is not asleep in bed.
United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2,348,726 describes the use of sensors arranged on furniture to monitor the activity of a person in a dwelling. In the absence of activity, an alarm call is raised.
WO 01/63578 describes a device, which senses current used by a device such as a television set, identifies abnormal behavior patterns and raises an alarm call.
The known devices for monitoring utilities (water, electricity etc) and raising an alarm call after a period of abnormal use are crude devices. The invention therefore seeks to provide an improved monitor and alarm device.